Toy airplane



June 2, 1936. l LHUNT v 2,2,715

TOY AIRPLANE Filed April 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

June 2, 1936. J, L HUNT 2,@42,715

TOY AIRPLANE Filed April 23, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. don/v L fiwv r.

ATTORNEYS.

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Patented June 2, 1936 STATES PATENT orrlcr.

TOY. A RPLANE.

Application April 23, 1934, Serial No. 721,957

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a toy airplane. It is the object of the invention to provide a small or toy airplane of strong but light construction composed in the main of metal parts. Other objects reside in the provision of a structure composed of a minimum number of parts and which can be packed for distribution and easily assembled by the purchaser or user. Other objects will appear as the detailed description is followed and by consideration of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a plane constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken, on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the tail structure.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the rear or tail end of the fuselage.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1 showing a strut and wing structure.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through the front portion of the fuselage, showing the propeller mounting.

Fig. 7 is a View illustrating the propeller structure.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 1, showing a preferred wing arrangement.

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating a modified form of propeller.

Ihe fuselage may and advantageously does consist of two sheet metal pieces which may be stampings seamed together at their meeting edges. The fuselage is generally shown at I, composed of a sheet metal member 2 and a sheet metal member 3 with their edges seamed together as at A and 5. The seams may be one on top of the fuselage and one on the bottom thereof running lengthwise of the fuselage. Advantageously, these two parts 2 and 3 may be identical and not made in rights and lefts. The seams 4 and 5 may be of any desired structure, as for example the common type lock seam illustrated in Fig. 2.

The nose or front of the fuselage preferably takes the form of a sheet metal member of cup form as shown at l, with its edges fitting over the end of the fuselage as shown. A propeller shaft 3 may be journaled in the nose piece 1 and likewise journaled in a bracket 9 fastened to the nose piece as by means of rivets ID. The propeller shaft may be provided with a hook H for the reception of rubber strands or the like 12,

alloy, and the front should be reinforced to constituting the motor. The propeller may consist of a hub piece l3 which advantageously may be of wood or other material such as a phenolic condensation product or molded material, slotted as at M. The propeller may comprise two pieces 5 constituting a blade l5 and a blade I6 with their center portions overlapping and situated in the slot in the hub as shown in Fig. '7. The center portions may be provided with arcuate parts I! and I8 for the reception of the shaft 8 so as to center the same, and the end of the shaft 8 may be in the form of a reversely bent hook IS. The propeller blades with the shaft attached thereto in this manner may be glued into the hub. One

or more washers 20 may be located between the 30 propeller hub and the nose piece I.

A modified form of propeller as shown in Fig. 9, where the same consists of the hub l3 and the blades !5 and I6, comprises a single piece of metal formed with a recess or groove 22 to receive the shaft 8; the shaft 8 may be bent around the center portion of the propeller as shown at 23.

The fuselage may be made of very light gauge metal preferably of aluminum or an aluminum strengthen the same against impact when the plane lands on its nose. To this end an inner reinforcing collar 25 (Fig. 6) may be riveted to the fuselage as by means of rivets 26. This collar preferably has rearwardly extending wings 2'! to reinforce the point of connection between the fuselage and landing gear struts 36. These struts may be of sheet metal, preferably of aluminum or aluminum alloy and. preferably of concavo-convex formation in cross-section for reinforcing purposes, and are pivotally secured to the fuselage by rivets. 29. The landing wheels are shown at 3| and they may be of wood or other suitable material, and an axle 32 of wire such as piano wire connects the wheels. The tmtstll are advantageously provided with bushin'gs such as small hollow rivets 33 through which the axle extends, and thrust struts 34, preferably of wire, may be fastened to the hollow rivets by having their end portions fastened around the rivets as shown at 35. The ends of the axle may be bent over as at 36. The axle may be offset as at 31 to hold the struts and wheels properly positioned.

The thrust struts 34 are advantageously connected to a locking strip 38 as by means of rivet 39. This locking strip serves to position the landing gear and as well serves to hold the wings to the fuselage as will later appear. Motor blocks may be simulated by sheet metal stampings 40 fastened to the fuselage by tines or wings 4| passed through suitable apertures in the fuselage and bent over as shown in Fig. 2. The cockpit may comprise an aperture 62 in the fuselage as shown in Fig. 1, and a stream lined headrest 43 may consist of a sheet metal stamping fastened to the fuselage by bent over tines or wings passing through suitable apertures in the fuselage as at 44.

The wings preferably consist of two identical sheet metal members concave-convex in cross-' section as shown in Fig. 8. The wings are illustrated at 45 and 46. The inner part of each wing is provided with apertures. as shown in Fig. 5, arranged to be passed over two or more bracketlike members 41. These bracket-like members may be in the form of sheet metal loops riveted to the fuselage as shown at 48. The ends of the wings lap over each other, and after the wings have been placed over the brackets the locking strip 38 is slipped into position through the looplike brackets as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. As the locking strip is slipped into position the landing gear struts 30 rock on the rivets 29.

Wing struts are provided and are preferably of steel wire, the same being shown at 50. Advantageously there are two struts for each wing. Each strut is secured at one end to a wing as by means of rivet 5! (Fig. 8). Each strut at its opposite end is connected with the fuselage, and this connection is preferably separable. To this end the fuselage may be provided with hollow rivet 52, one for each strut, and each strut is fashioned at one end into 2 formation. This formation may be accomplished by bending each strut as at 53 and providing another bend as at 54. It will be appreciated how the end of a strut may be cocked angularly so that its end may be passed through a hollow rivet and then the strut may be positioned as shown in Fig. 5 so that the connection will hold fast and will not be disconnected except by intentional manipulation of the strut.

At the rear the fuselage may taper into a shape substantially rectangular in crosssection as shown in Fig. 3. The horizontal stabilizers and. elevator may take the form of two sheet metal members 60 and BI each riveted to the fuselage as at 62. Their inner ends may be turned upwardly in abutting relation and secured together by rivets 63. These members may have a transversely extending bend line 62a so. that rear portions 63a may be bent on said line by an operator to control the elevating effect. The vertical stabilizer and rudder may comprise a sheet metal member 64 and this may be attached to the plane by inserting the lower edge thereof between the flanged parts 65 of the horizontal stabilizers. The lower edges of the rudder 64 may be cut away as shown at 66 to accommodate the rivets 63. The rudder may be provided with a hollow rivet or bushing. 61 through which is passed a steel wire 68. This steel wire may be shaped into the form of a V substantially as shown in Fig. 3 and its end portions are hooked as at 69 to be passed through hollow rivets 10. These hollow rivets secure to the horizontal stabilizers, a brace H which extends under the fuselage which may be riveted thereto as at 12. The legs of the V shaped support for the rudder preferably are tensioned outwardly when positioned to thus strongly support the rudder.

A combined tail skid or tail wheel holder and motor support is provided at the rear of the fuselage. This may take the form of sheet metal stamping 13 with flanges 14 which fit over the end of the fuselage. Opposite flanges have depending parts 15 between which a tail wheel'lB may be mounted. The member 13 may have a slot 18 for the reception of a loop 19 of a motor supporting rod 80. This motor supporting rod 5 may have another loop 8! for holding the rubber strands l2.

Save for the propeller hub and the landing wheels the device may be entirely of metal; and these parts may be made of metal or other mate- 10 rial. The plane may be packed and shipped with the wings removed and with the landing gear collapsed. Also, the rudder may be removed. The propeller may be assembled or left off as desired, as it will be appreciated that by merely disl5 connecting the rubber strands from the loop II or 8|, the propeller and tail piece may be removed. The parts may be easily assembled in the manner above described, and a strong stable plane structure is provided. The assembly may be accom- 2 plished without the use of any tools. The wings, which are preferably of aluminum alloy, are of quite thin metal, and due to the arcuate form and the steel wire braces are quite rigid when assembled; however, the wings are sufficiently flexible 25 so that they can be twisted on their longitudinal axes to vary the relative positions of the leading and trailing edges to obtain desired characteristics of a flight. To wind the rubber strands the loop 19 may be grasped, withdrawn from the slot 30 18, and then turned on the axis of the member 80 to twist the strands. This is usually done with a winding device,'although it may be'done by hand. The tail piece 13 slips oif the end of the fuselage readily, and the strands may be stretched 35 out lengthwise during the winding operation to prevent knotting, to thus provide a tighter winding of the strands. When the tail piece and loop 19 are repositioned, the loop 19 fits into the slot and holds the member 80 and loop 8! from turning.

I claim:

1. A toy airplane structure comprising a hollow fuselage, a cup shaped member over the front end of the fuselage having flanges telescopingly fitting 45 the front of the fuselage, a supporting yoke secured to the cup shaped member and having a central part disposed in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of the cup, and a propeller shaft journaled in the bottom portion of the cup and in said central part of the yoke.

2. A toy airplane structure comprising, a hollow sheet metal fuselage, a cup shaped member over the front end of the fuselage having flanges telescopingly fitting the front of the fuselage, a supporting yoke secured to the cup shaped member and having a central part disposed in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of the cup, a propeller shaft journaled in the bottom portion of the cup and in said central part of the yoke, a propeller having a hub secured to the shaft outside of said cup, and said propeller shaft having a loop inside the fuselage and inwardly of said yoke for receiving rubber strands.

3. A propeller structure for toy airplanes comprising, a hub member of solid material having a slot therein extending transversely of the axis of the hub, propeller blades comprised of sheet 70 metal having a portion situated in the slot in the hub, a propeller shaft projecting into the slot, the sheet metal in the slot being fashioned with a depression for the reception of the shaft,

- whereby the shaft may be positioned on the axis of the hub, and said shaft and propeller blades being secured in said slot.

4. A propeller structure for toy airplanes comprising, a hub of solid material having a slot therein positioned transversely of the axis, a pair of sheet metal propeller blades each having a portion positioned in the slot, said portions lying one over the other and having matching grooves, a propeller shaft positioned between the matching grooves, said propeller shaft and sheet metal portions of the blade being secured in the slot of the hub.

5. A landing gear structure for a toy airplane comprising, a pair of load supporting struts secured to the fuselage, a pair of landing wheels, a wire axle for the wheels, said struts being secured to the axle adjacent to the wheels, a pair of thrust struts also secured to the axle adjacent to the wheels, means securing the thrust struts to the fuselage, said wire axle having a pair of offsets, each located adjacent a wheel and spaced therefrom, the said first mentioned struts and said thrust struts being secured to the axle between a wheel and an offset, whereby to be held axially positioned on the axle.

6. A toy airplane structure comprising, a fuselage, a plurality of loop-like brackets secured to the underside of the fuselage, a pair of wings each having apertures therein and arranged to be fitted over the brackets, and a locking member adapted to be positioned in said loop-like brackets to hold the wings secured thereto.

'7. A toy airplane structure comprising, a fuselage, a plurality of loop-like brackets secured to the underside of the fuselage, a pair of wings each having apertures therein and arranged to be fitted over the brackets, a landing gear comprising struts pivoted to the fuselage, thrust struts for the landing gear, and a locking member pivotally secured to the thrust struts and insertable into the loop-like brackets for securing the wings to the fuselage and for positioning the landing gear.

8. A toy airplane structure comprising, a fuselage, a horizontal stabilizer and elevator of light sheet metal secured to the fuselage, a vertical stabilizer and rudder of light sheet metal, said vertical stabilizer having an aperture therein near its upper portion, a wire supporting member substantially a V shape having the bight of the V positioned in said aperture, the horizontal stabilizer having an aperture on each side of the fuselage, and the ends of the wire-like support each being of hook formation for insertion into one of the apertures in the horizontal stabilizer.

9. A toy airplane structure comprising, a hollow fuselage, a sheet metal horizontal stabilizer secured to the fuselage, a support secured to the fuselage, hollow rivets securing the ends of the support to the horizontal stabilizer on opposite sides of the fuselage, a sheet metal rudder adapted to be positioned on the fuselage, the sheet metal rudder having an aperture at a point removed from the fuselage, a substantially V- shaped wire supporting member having the bight of the V positioned in the aperture in the rudder, the ends of the Wire supporting member being of hook formation and arranged to catch into the said hollow rivets.

10. A toy airplane structure comprising, a hollow fuselage, a propeller at the front of the fuselage, a shaft therefor, a tail piece removably and non-rotatably interfitting the rear end of the fuselage, a tail wheel or skid carried by the said tail piece, a rod extending through the tail piece, said rod and the propeller shaft having means for the reception of rubber strands, said tail piece having a slot therein, the rod having an enlargement for fitting into the slot whereby the tail piece holds the rod against rotation, said rod and tail piece being withdrawable from the rear end of the fuselage whereby to stretch the rubber strands for winding purposes.

JOHN L. HUNT. 

